Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the United States and 11 other countries have requested Ukraine’s assistance in countering Iranian drones, electronic warfare systems, and related training. He said the requests came from several European nations, the US, and some of Iran’s neighboring countries. Zelensky shared the information on social media after a meeting with top Ukrainian military and government officials.

According to Zelensky, Ukraine is ready to respond positively to these requests from nations that have supported its defense and independence. He emphasized that Kyiv’s experience in drone defense, gained during four years of resisting Russia’s aggression, could be valuable for its partners’ long-term security. Ukraine hopes that the ongoing Middle East crisis will strengthen its bargaining position with allies.

Zelensky added that specific decisions and assistance have already been provided in response to some of the requests, though he did not disclose details. Earlier, he told The New York Times that Ukraine had sent drone-destroying systems and an expert team to help protect US bases in Jordan at Washington’s request.

Russia launched extensive missile and drone attacks across Ukraine from Friday to Saturday, killing 12 people and injuring more than a dozen others, including children, according to AFP. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia fired 29 missiles and 480 drones overnight, targeting the country’s energy sector and railway infrastructure. Residential areas and key facilities were also damaged, with Kharkiv suffering a deadly ballistic missile strike that destroyed a five-story building and killed at least 10 people.

Zelensky stated that Russia continues to attack residential zones and critical infrastructure, urging allied nations to provide faster and greater military assistance. In a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, he emphasized the need to swiftly implement the EU’s €90 billion aid package for Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia, which remain blocked by Hungary.

Moscow claimed its strikes targeted only military and energy facilities and denied hitting civilian areas. Meanwhile, Russian-installed authorities in occupied Kherson reported one death and four injuries from a Ukrainian drone strike.

Ukraine is bracing for a potential shortage of US-made Patriot air defence missiles as Washington’s Middle Eastern allies use large quantities of the same systems to intercept Iranian attacks. Experts told Al Jazeera that Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to exploit the shortfall, which could occur within weeks, by intensifying missile assaults on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. The Patriots, first deployed in Kyiv in 2023, have been crucial in intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, including the Kinzhal, but their limited supply and high cost have constrained Ukraine’s defences.

Analysts warn that the shortage highlights broader weaknesses in Ukraine’s protection of energy and transport infrastructure. Moscow’s strategy of using drones and decoy missiles to exhaust Ukrainian air defences has already proven effective. European and Israeli reluctance to release additional Patriot stocks further complicates Kyiv’s situation. Ukraine currently operates fewer than a dozen Patriot batteries, far below the 25 it says are needed.

While France and Italy’s SAMP/T systems offer some backup, their effectiveness against Russia’s modified missiles remains untested. Experts caution that Russia may soon launch large-scale raids to deplete Ukraine’s remaining missile reserves.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered assistance to Middle Eastern allies to help counter possible attacks from Iran. He announced that Ukraine is preparing a plan to deploy experts in the Gulf region to help partner nations defend against Iranian drones and missiles. Zelensky said he has spoken with leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, and Bahrain regarding the initiative.

According to the Ukrainian president, he has instructed officials to design a plan that supports allied countries without weakening Ukraine’s own defense capabilities. In a post on X, Zelensky stated that Ukraine can contribute to saving lives and stabilizing the situation. He emphasized that Ukrainian military forces have the necessary capacity, and teams are already coordinating the deployment of specialists.

Zelensky added that Ukraine is ready to help protect civilians, restore safe maritime navigation, and maintain stability in the region, underscoring Kyiv’s willingness to extend its defense expertise beyond its borders.

Russia has returned the bodies of 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Ukraine, according to a Moscow official cited on Thursday. In exchange, Ukraine handed over the remains of 35 Russian soldiers. The exchange reportedly took place near Kyiv, as confirmed by Russian mediator Vladimir Medinsky in a social media post.

The report, carried by AFP from Moscow, marks another instance of body repatriation between the two sides amid the ongoing conflict. Such exchanges are typically coordinated through intermediaries to ensure the return of fallen soldiers to their respective countries.

No further details were provided about the process or the conditions under which the exchange occurred.

Russia carried out overnight attacks on multiple Ukrainian cities, injuring at least 23 people including a child. The strikes occurred ahead of a scheduled meeting in Geneva between Ukraine and the United States to discuss ending the ongoing war. Kyiv’s military administration chief Tymur Tkachenkо reported that drones and ballistic missiles were used in the assault, urging residents to remain in shelters until air raid alerts were lifted.

Police in Kyiv said the attacks caused fires in non-residential buildings, shattered windows in a multi-story apartment, and set a two-story house ablaze. No deaths were reported. In the northeastern city of Kharkiv and a nearby village, 14 people were injured, while seven others were hurt in Zaporizhzhia where 19 apartment buildings, four houses, and other structures were damaged. Two more people were injured in Kryvyi Rih.

The assault comes as the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion four years ago, continues to devastate Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions. Washington has reiterated its desire for an end to the conflict.

Ukraine announced that its chief negotiator Rustem Umerov will meet US envoy Steve Witkoff in Geneva on Thursday. The meeting is being held ahead of a possible trilateral discussion involving Russia in early March. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he will also meet Witkoff and Jared Kushner to prepare for the upcoming talks, which are expected to focus on key issues related to the ongoing conflict.

An adviser to Umerov confirmed that the Geneva meeting follows earlier discussions this month among Russian, Ukrainian, and American officials. The initiative is part of the latest diplomatic efforts led by US President Donald Trump, though no significant progress has yet been achieved in ending Russia’s four-year aggression against Ukraine.

Zelensky stated that the agenda will include prisoner exchanges and a prosperity package aimed at Ukraine’s reconstruction. Witkoff confirmed earlier in the week that the dialogue seeks pathways toward a potential peace agreement.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered its fifth year, with the conflict causing massive destruction and loss of life but little territorial change. Recent data indicate Moscow’s military advances have slowed significantly, averaging about 70 meters per day near Pokrovsk and 23 meters near Kupiansk. In 2025, Russia captured roughly 1,865 square miles, only 0.8 percent of Ukraine’s total territory.

Observers argue that Russian claims of Ukraine’s imminent defeat do not align with the situation on the ground. Ukraine has reorganized its strategy and achieved limited counter-successes, reclaiming about 40 square miles in Zaporizhzhia and retaking the city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv region. However, the humanitarian situation remains dire, with over one million people suffering from power, heat, and water shortages amid subzero temperatures following Russian missile and drone strikes.

Despite continued Western support, Ukraine faces air defense shortages, making it difficult to repel Russian attacks. Analysts describe the war as largely stalemated, with Russia’s ambitions in Donetsk uncertain and Ukrainians showing no sign of surrender.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to achieve his goal of capturing Ukraine. Speaking in a video address marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s aggression, Zelensky stated that Putin could not break the Ukrainian people or win the war, emphasizing that Ukraine had defended its country.

According to AFP, Zelensky reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness to do everything possible to ensure a strong and lasting peace. He said the country would continue efforts to establish justice and achieve peace.

The remarks came as Ukraine marked four years since the start of Russia’s invasion, underscoring Kyiv’s continued resistance and determination to secure a just and stable peace.

Ukraine’s war, now in its fifth year, has been transformed by the dominance of drones and advanced communication technologies. According to AFP reports from Kyiv, drones now account for about 80 percent of battlefield losses, replacing tanks and heavy artillery as the main instruments of combat. Soldiers describe the front lines as a 20-kilometer-deep “kill zone” under constant aerial surveillance. To maintain supply lines and evacuate the wounded, Ukraine increasingly relies on ground-based robotic vehicles.

Both sides face challenges maintaining uninterrupted drone communication amid electronic jamming. Russia has turned to fiber-optic-controlled drones, while Ukraine uses Starlink satellite terminals for stable connectivity. Elon Musk recently disabled illegal Russian terminals at Ukraine’s request, temporarily disrupting communications. Analysts say this helped Ukraine advance in the Zaporizhzhia region earlier in February.

Engineers are now integrating artificial intelligence into drones to sustain operations when signals fail. Ukrainian firm The Fourth Law claims its AI-guided drones can strike targets autonomously if disconnected. Experts caution that AI currently assists rather than replaces humans, though its role in warfare continues to expand.

A 23-year-old female police officer was killed and at least 25 others were injured in an explosion in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, according to Ukrainian officials who described the incident as a terrorist attack. The blast occurred shortly after midnight on Sunday when police responded to a report of theft and vandalism at a shop. Two explosives hidden in a trash bin detonated—one as the first patrol arrived and another when a second team reached the scene.

The deceased officer was identified as Viktoria Shpylka, who had served since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Eleven of the injured were hospitalized, including six law enforcement officers in critical condition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said one suspect had been detained in connection with the attack.

Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stated that the attacker was a Ukrainian woman. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that police and security forces arrested a 33-year-old woman from the Rivne region. Authorities are investigating whether others were involved.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already started World War III. In an interview with the BBC, Zelensky said that only intense military and economic pressure can stop Putin. He rejected any notion of Ukraine being on the path to defeat, asserting that the war would end with Ukraine’s victory.

Zelensky emphasized that accepting a ceasefire under Russia’s conditions would mean surrendering strategically important territories that Russia failed to capture despite heavy losses. He argued that Russia seeks to impose a different way of life on the world, replacing the choices people have made for themselves. According to him, the key question now is how far Putin can go and how the world will stop him.

The Ukrainian leader reiterated that Russia must be confronted through sustained military and economic measures, not by conceding territory or making strategic compromises under the guise of peace.

Former Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko was detained while allegedly trying to leave the country, according to a statement from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). Authorities said his arrest is part of the ongoing 'Midas case,' a broad investigation into corruption within Ukraine’s energy sector. The bureau stated that the detention is linked to allegations of large-scale embezzlement and illicit enrichment.

The report notes that Galushchenko, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky, was accused in September 2025 of illegally earning and transferring abroad about 100 million dollars. The scandal previously triggered a political crisis, leading both the sitting and former energy ministers to resign at Zelensky’s request, though both denied wrongdoing. Investigators claim the misappropriated funds came through state enterprises, including Energoatom, which operates Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.

Preliminary investigations remain ongoing, focusing on how funds intended for strengthening the security of critical energy facilities were allegedly diverted.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused the United States of pressuring Kyiv, rather than Moscow, to make concessions in ongoing peace negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, he said sustainable peace requires concrete and long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, not just compromises. A trilateral meeting in Geneva, mediated by US President Donald Trump, is scheduled for next week, which Zelensky views with cautious optimism but also frustration over the negotiation format.

Zelensky criticized the absence of European nations from the talks, calling it a major mistake that could hinder prospects for ending the war. One of the most contentious issues remains Russia’s demand for Ukrainian troop withdrawal from the Donetsk region. Kyiv refuses unilateral withdrawal and seeks at least 20 years of Western security guarantees, while the US has proposed 15 years. Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to oppose any foreign troop presence in Ukraine.

Zelensky also called for a national referendum before any peace deal, alongside nationwide elections, a ceasefire monitoring mission, and prisoner exchanges. He said Russia holds about 7,000 Ukrainian soldiers, while Ukraine detains around 4,000 Russian troops.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'slave of war' during his speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. He said Putin may see himself as a Russian emperor but is bound by war. Zelensky stated that every power plant in Ukraine has suffered major damage from Russian attacks and warned that granting territorial concessions to Moscow would only fuel further aggression.

Drawing a parallel to the 1938 Munich Agreement, Zelensky cautioned that appeasing Putin would not bring peace, likening the situation to European powers’ concessions to Hitler before World War II. He made these remarks just days before the fourth anniversary of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, accusing Russia of killing thousands, destroying eastern Ukraine, and forcing millions to flee.

Zelensky reiterated Kyiv’s call for Western nations to expedite air defense supplies to Ukraine, emphasizing that his government is doing everything possible to end the war. Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Moscow of deliberately targeting Ukraine’s power grid to inflict suffering during the harsh winter.